diff --git a/pkg/lib/watcher/watcher.go b/pkg/lib/watcher/watcher.go
index 7934842855..1b5bfb64a2 100644
--- a/pkg/lib/watcher/watcher.go
+++ b/pkg/lib/watcher/watcher.go
@@ -92,11 +92,27 @@ func (w *watcher) determineStartingIterator(ctx context.Context, initial EventIt
 	}
 
 	// No checkpoint found, handle initial iterator
+	if initial.Type == EventIteratorTrimHorizon {
+		return initial, nil
+	}
+
+	latestSeqNum, err := w.store.GetLatestEventNum(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return EventIterator{}, err
+	}
+
+	// If the requested sequence number is the latest, start from the current latest seqNum
 	if initial.Type == EventIteratorLatest {
-		latestSeqNum, err := w.store.GetLatestEventNum(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			return EventIterator{}, err
-		}
+		return AfterSequenceNumberIterator(latestSeqNum), nil
+	}
+
+	// If the requested sequence number is higher than the latest, start from the latest
+	if initial.SequenceNumber > latestSeqNum {
+		log.Ctx(ctx).Warn().
+			Str("watcher_id", w.id).
+			Uint64("requested_seq", initial.SequenceNumber).
+			Uint64("latest_seq", latestSeqNum).
+			Msg("requested sequence number is higher than latest, starting from latest instead")
 		return AfterSequenceNumberIterator(latestSeqNum), nil
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/lib/watcher/watcher_test.go b/pkg/lib/watcher/watcher_test.go
index 82603a9ba1..5f8e59a100 100644
--- a/pkg/lib/watcher/watcher_test.go
+++ b/pkg/lib/watcher/watcher_test.go
@@ -112,9 +112,10 @@ func (s *WatcherTestSuite) TestDetermineStartingIterator() {
 		latestErr        error
 	}{
 		{
-			name:         "No checkpoint, non-latest iterator",
-			initialIter:  watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(5),
-			expectedIter: watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(5),
+			name:             "No checkpoint, non-latest iterator",
+			setupLatestEvent: ptr(uint64(10)), // Store event up to seq 15
+			initialIter:      watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(5),
+			expectedIter:     watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(5),
 		},
 		{
 			name:            "With checkpoint, non-latest iterator",
@@ -152,6 +153,16 @@ func (s *WatcherTestSuite) TestDetermineStartingIterator() {
 			initialIter:  watcher.LatestIterator(),
 			expectedIter: watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(0),
 		},
+		{
+			name:         "Empty store, at iterator",
+			initialIter:  watcher.AtSequenceNumberIterator(0),
+			expectedIter: watcher.AtSequenceNumberIterator(0),
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "Empty store, after iterator",
+			initialIter:  watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(0),
+			expectedIter: watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(0),
+		},
 		{
 			name:            "TrimHorizon with checkpoint",
 			setupCheckpoint: ptr(uint64(10)),
@@ -163,6 +174,25 @@ func (s *WatcherTestSuite) TestDetermineStartingIterator() {
 			initialIter:  watcher.TrimHorizonIterator(),
 			expectedIter: watcher.TrimHorizonIterator(),
 		},
+		{
+			name:             "Sequence at latest",
+			setupLatestEvent: ptr(uint64(15)),
+			initialIter:      watcher.AtSequenceNumberIterator(15),
+			expectedIter:     watcher.AtSequenceNumberIterator(15),
+		},
+
+		{
+			name:             "Sequence too high, start after latest",
+			setupLatestEvent: ptr(uint64(15)),
+			initialIter:      watcher.AtSequenceNumberIterator(20),
+			expectedIter:     watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(15),
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "After sequence too high, start after latest",
+			setupLatestEvent: ptr(uint64(15)),
+			initialIter:      watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(20),
+			expectedIter:     watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(15),
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testCases {
@@ -657,7 +687,7 @@ func (s *WatcherTestSuite) TestEmptyEventStoreWithDifferentIterators() {
 		{
 			name:             "AtSequenceNumber(1)",
 			iterator:         watcher.AtSequenceNumberIterator(1),
-			expectedIterator: watcher.AtSequenceNumberIterator(1),
+			expectedIterator: watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(0),
 		},
 		{
 			name:             "AfterSequenceNumber(0)",
@@ -667,7 +697,7 @@ func (s *WatcherTestSuite) TestEmptyEventStoreWithDifferentIterators() {
 		{
 			name:             "AfterSequenceNumber(1)",
 			iterator:         watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(1),
-			expectedIterator: watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(1),
+			expectedIterator: watcher.AfterSequenceNumberIterator(0),
 		},
 	}